Immigrants are one of the biggest factors that help the D.C. region grow and sustain itself.

"My mission in the office is to improve the quality [of life] for D.C.s Latino residents," says Jackie Reyes, director of the Mayors office on Latino Affairs, to learn more about how immigration benefits the greater Washington area.

JJ Green, National Security correspondent for WTOP-FM and host of the TargetUSA Podcast, Brian Fanzo, founder/CEO of social strategy consulting firm iSocialFanz and Judy Kurtz, In the Know columnist for The Hill join in this What's Working in Washingon EXTRA.

To help steer the greater Washington region towards a more innovative future for entrepreneurs, local business owners penned an open letter to future area politicians. James Quigley, founder of coworking space Canvas and one of more than 40 co-signers, wants talent growth to be boosted.

Making sure the person you present matches up with the person you really are is pivotal for success.

"I like to say a brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room," said Elizabeth Shea, founder of SpeakerBox Communications. "If you dont think about your own brand, or your companys brand, somebody else will do it for you."

Networking in New York City is distinctly different from networking in the D.C. region, according to Rachel Adler, digital media business development manager for the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.

"I'm a research junkie. A lot of my research comes from working for New York State. I used to do a lot of vetting for political candidates," said Adler. "I try to find touch points I could talk about I look through their social platforms if they have them, including Twitter and LinkedIn." By finding touchstones of common interest, its easy to build rapport.